~Author's notes~
~linay
Ancient Visions
Previously: They discover that the pendant is gone from the dragon's nest. As they flee the island, red guymelefs attack them and they are forced to land. Hitomi has a vision retelling parts of Mia and Slanzar's life but is trapped in a fire. Van helps defeat the attackers but is faced with Gaddeth carrying the limp body of Hitomi.chapter 7
Van froze in horror and stared at the lifelessly dangling arms, the tattered burnt uniform, the long limp neck, the black-stained face and the closed eyes."Hitomi?" Van uttered softly in shock, "Hitomi?"
Gaddeth carried her to Van, who couldn't move. Gently, he shifted Hitomi into Van's arms. Van cradled her limp body in his arms, still unable to speak. A flutter? He stared hard at Hitomi's eyes. Something seemed to be moving beneath her eyelids. He looked up at Gaddeth.
"No," Gaddeth said slowly, "She's not dead. I mean, she's breathing. But she won't wake up!"
Van looked back down at Hitomi's unmoving body. "Won't wake up?"
"No matter what we tried," Gaddeth started, "She won't wake up! She didn't get up when the fire started. We got to her out just in time. She seemed fine...but, it's like she's-"
"-trapped," Van finished. "Where are you Hitomi? And what are you seeing?"
"Where am I?" Hitomi asked to no one. She was standing alone on a dark plain. Black ground stretched out infinitley around her and the night sky was starless. Hitomi sank to her knees. Why is the ground so black? she asked herself. She reached out and grabbed a handful of the chalky dirt, rubbing the substance in her palm. It's ash, she thought in horror looking up at the endless black plain before her, all this is...ASH?" She let the ashes fall from her hand, realizing that she was completely alone, where ever she was.
"Van!!" she screamed in to the empty air.
Escaflowne and Scherezade were stowed in the Crusade's hull. The crew was repairing the ship as best they could. Van was taking a look at the remains of the strange red guymelefs. He traced a finger across the metal armor of the guymelef. Strange armor, Van thought to himself, And what strange weapons. He was kneeling by the guymelef's arm when Allen approached him.
"What have you found Van?"
"Their weapons are strange, " Van replied thoughtfully, "They use something like the crima claw -- liquid metal. But..." he pointed to a piece of dissolving metal, "It burns metal too."
Allen arched an eyebrow, "An upgrade?"
"Seems so," Van stood up, "I recognize the crest. It's a guymelef made by Cesario."
"Cesario?!" Allen said in shock, "But why would they attack us?"
"Not Cesario...Newton. I think he usurped the crown," Van said angrily.
Allen paused for a moment, reflecting.
"Hitomi is safetly tucked in the Crusade," he announced after a moment's hesitation.
"Thank you allen," Van replied.
"Van," Allen said softly, "We should get her back as soon as possible - so a doctor can see her."
"Back where?"
Allen paused and reflected, "Does Fanelia have any healers or doctors?"
"Yes," Van replied darkly, "But none so good as those in Balis."
"Balis?"
"The isolated colony west of Fanelia. Monks live there. They'll know how to take care of her."
"Then," Allen said, "We will be going to Balis."
"Yes," Van said with determination, "I'll take Hitomi there myself and supervise her care."
"Van," Allen began carefully, "Do you think that is the best plan of action?"
Van turned to face Allen, "What do you mean?"
"You are a King," Allen replied simply.
"SO?"
"As King you have responsibilities to your country."
Van turned away darkly. "What do you care about what I do?"
"Van, I fought alongside you," Allen said softly, "I'm only saying that you should not be rash."
Van tensed and untensed his arms. He wrestled with himself: dreading what awaited him at the castle, worrying about Hitomi and trying to decide what was best. He clenched his fists.
With head bowed he said, "Allen, would you please take Hitomi to the monks in Balis for me?"
"You may trust me with that task Van."
Van gritted his teeth and replied, "Thank you Allen." He paused. "But please allow us to pass through Fanelia first."
"Done."
"Then we will leave at once."
Allen bowed slightly and walked away towards the Crusade. Van sighed and relaxed. He swung one arm around, loosening up. At least I know Hitomi will be well-taken care of He stopped his arm in mid-air. well taken care of...by allen. Van felt himself tensing up again.
Newton strode through the halls of Cesario's palace. He laughed to himself. So, he thought to himself, the little dragon had defeated six of his men. No matter, they still don't know that my defeat is impossible. Well, let the little ones try Newton approached the entrance to his study, a cold laugh ringing out as he passed the cowering guards.
Van stepped out of the Crusade, taking in the smell of the forests. A familiar high-pitched voice broke into his thoughts.
"Lord Van!" Merle screeched and ran into him. She gave him a good lick on the cheek then whipped her head around several times. "Where's Hitomi?"
Van's countenance drooped suddenly as he turned back towards the ship. The court members who stood around in the courtyard to greet the king all gasped to some extent. Hitomi, known as the seeress from the mystic moon, was being carried off the Crusade on a stretcher. Merle rushed up to the side of the stretcher, calling to the unconscious girl.
"She can't hear you Merle," Van said.
Merle stopped chasing the stretcher that was being carried into the castle. "What do you mean, Lord Van?"
"She's lost somewhere inside. I don't know why, but she won't wake up," Van answered, frustration creeping into his voice. He scanned the crowd. He caught sight of the slightly smirking Rawlin, the worried Shana and the stoic Sayjin. He felt bitterness rising in his throat. "I will be in my study while the Crusade prepares to leave," he announced gruffly then stalked through the crowd unceremoniously. Merle looked after him, ears twitching. Sayjin called to the catgirl and she bounded up to him.
"No doubt something of importance has just happened," he said softly, "If I know the king, he will want Hitomi to be treated by the monks in Balis. I will speak to him now. Go and watch the girl Hitomi. Make sure she is put somewhere comfortable."
Merle nodded in understanding. She ran off in the direction of the men carrying Hitomi.
"Why so much fuss, Sir Sayjin?" a sneering voice asked.
Sayjin turned to the smirking face of Rawlin in disgust but did not bother to speak. Instead he bowed slightly to Shana and departed in the direction of the young King's study. Shana began to walk towards the castle.
"Where are you going, princess?" Rawlin asked.
"To see the girl," Shana answered curtly, "And you will not stop me."
Shana walked quickly down the hall towards the guest wing. She paused in front of one of the guards.
"Sir, would you be so kind as to tell me where they are taking the seeress Hitomi?" she inquired.
The guard smiled sheepishly, "They haven't actually decided yet. But they headed down the corridor to the left."
Shana smiled and nodded in thanks. She hurried and as she turned the corner, she heard Merle's high-pitched voice and another lower voice.
"Merle, it's not necessary. We'll be leaving shortly," the man's voice said.
"So," Merle shot back, "Does that matter? Put her on the bed!"
"Merle, we don't have time for this!"
"I said, put her on the bed!" A scurrying sound followed and then silence. Shana rushed to the door and poked her head in. Gaddeth was sitting on the floor beside the bed and had obviously been unable to restrain Merle, who sat licking a paw beside Hitomi (now lying on the bed like a rag doll). Shana entered the room softly.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
Gaddeth stood and brushed himself off, casting a snide look at Merle. "She was in a fire and she just won't wake up," he answered.
Shana glided to Hitomi's bedside and sat, bird-like, on the edge. She reached out a hand and brushed a lock of hair from Hitomi's eyes.
"How did it happen?" she asked Gaddeth.
"We were returning from the dragon's nest when we were attacked by unknown guymelefs. Something caused a fire in the hull. Hitomi was trapped. Van saved us I think. Our boss, the knight Allen, was fighting them off but we would've been beat if Van hadn't shown up."
"Van? King of Fanelia saved you?" Shana asked incredously.
Gaddeth nodded. "You haven't seen his guymelef? Escaflowne? It's legendary!"
Shana raised her eyebrows in interest.
Van stood in his study, facing the large glass windows. Sayjin entered quietly, then stood silently in the room. Van's face was set and grim and his fists were clenched. Then he spoke, his voice strained.
"Sayjin," he said, "I couldn't protect her."
"My lord," the older man replied gently, "We cannot always protect the ones we love."
Van's knuckles grew white. "How can I take care of her now?"
"Young king, you cannot-"
"I know Sayjin," the king interrupted brusquely, "I will not go with her to Balis. Allen will see to it that she is taken care of." Van turned to look at Sayjin
Sayjin said nothing, but only bowed. Van turned back to the window and stared, his whole body a ball of knots.
Shana was still sitting by Hitomi. Gaddeth had dozed off in a plush chair in the corner, his chin touching his neck. Merle sat on the window sill, gazing outside. Hitomi lay unmoving on the bed. A sudden knock on the door jolted everyone by Hitomi from their reveries. Allen entered the room suavely. Van stalked in after him. Gaddeth rose to greet them.
"Boss," GAddeth said to Allen, "Are we leaving?"
"Soon," allen replied, glancing at Van. Van didn't respond, his eyes were fixed on hitomi.
"Boss," Gaddeth started in a low tone, "I was telling the young Princess of Basram what happened and something occured to me."
"What is it GAddeth?"
"That fire in the hull..." Gaddeth dropped his voice even lower, "Well, there were no holes in the hull...our attackers didn't penetrate the hull so...the fire, well, it started from the inside."
Van swung around suddenly. "What did you say?"
Gaddeth coughed, "The fire started from the inside of the ship -- and none of the crew started it."
Van turned to look at Hitomi. "Did you do that?, he asked her silently, "could you have started the fire?"
Allen seemed to echo Van's thoughts and said, "Could Hitomi have started the fire?"
Merle jumped in unexpectedly, "That's dumb, why would she start a fire."
"I didn't mean intentionally," Allen replied smoothly, " Maybe something she saw..."
Van strode to the bed and touched Hitomi's forehead. "Hitomi, please wake up, please!" he said, frustration rising in his voice. Everyone in the room tensed up as the young king seemed on the verge of physically shaking Hitomi. Shana gently interposed, extending a long graceful arm between Van and Hitomi. She gently touched Hitomi's face. Van looked down at Shana, calmed somewhat by the soothing movement. He almost smiled.
Allen heaved a sigh. "Van, shall we be off?"
"Yes ALlen, please go to the monks in Balis," Van said turning to to face him, eyes unreadable, "Make sure she recovers."
Allen nodded seriously. He gestured to Gaddeth. Gaddeth started to pick Hitomi up. Van stood statue-like as they walked from the room. Shana watched his stone face intently while Merle furrowed her brows and twitched her ears.
"Princess Shana, Merle," Van said quietly, bowing his head, "Would you please leave me?"
Merle sniffed and bounded out. Shana rose regally and walked past Van towards the door. As she exited, she gave him a final look. Van sighed heavily as soon they were out of earshot. As if weighed down by a hundred pounds, he sank onto the bed, sitting where Shana had been. He set his hand down onto the bed where Hitomi's head had left an imprint. The cushion was still warm. Hitomi, Van thought , " Hitomi, be well"
The monks had greeted Hitomi and the crew of the Crusade warmly. Allen had informed them of the past events as well as Hitomi's history in Gaea. The head monk, Jalin, had been silent throughout the tale. When allen had finally finished speaking, Jalin pronounced his decision.
"We, the monks of Balis, will care for this girl. She will be kept in the monastery as a patient. I myself will supervise her treatement," Jalin stated matter of factly, "However, we cannot permit your instruments of war in our colony. So all of youwill have to return to Fanelia to report to the young King."
Allen had tried to protest, but in the end, the old monk had his way.
"Tell the young king that those are my conditions. Only the young seeress Hitomi may stay here," Jalin insisted.
So, on this day, the crew of the Crusade were preparing to leave. Allen was not looking forward to telling Van that none of them could watch over Hitomi. He sighed and entered the Crusade.
Jalin watched as the Crusade disappeared into the distance. Jalin was a short thin man. He was bald and he wore a red tunic of scratchy material. He turned to look at the young girl who lay on a simple cot. His thin eyes squinted at her. She was different from any other girl he had seen. Her clothes were obviously foreign, her hair was short and she was so distant. Other unconscious patients looked like they were sleeping. THis girl, though Jalin knew her to be alive, seemed out of her body. He approached the cot. He sensed a strange power in her, unlike any he had encountered. He placed an old wizened hand on her forehead. She seemed to stir slightly but she remained lost.
"Stop!" Hitomi screamed, "Stop that!"
A young woman was cowering in a corner, hiding her face in her hands. A red-uniformed soldier stood over her, shouting.
"Rebel! Tell me your secret!" he yelled menacingly. When no sound came from the frightened girl, the man struck at her with his sheathed sword, causing her to fall clutching her arm in pain. Tears dripped from her face and her mid-length brown hair was matted and stringy.
"I won't," she said, biting back the pain in her voice, "I won't tell you -ever!"
This statement only served to infruriate the guard. He lashed out even more severely.
"Stop!" Hitomi cried out again desperately.
The guard turned towards her. Hitomi reeled backwards in surprise. He had heard her? He raised his red sheathed sword over his head, as if to hit her. Hitomi cowered. And then, suddenly she was back on the black plains, alone in a sea of ashes. Hitomi clutched her chest in agony.
"Why is this happening to me?" she asked aloud.
She had been wandering on the black plains for what seemed like an eternity, having horrifying visions. She tried to stop the salty tears that spilled from her cheeks, dripping to the thick layer of black ash on the ground.
The monk pulled his hand back from Hitomi's forehead in surprise. He had felt something stirring in her mind. Maybe it would be possible to call out to her mind. Jalin strode to the opening of the room.
"Kan, Nika!" he called loudly, "Come!"
Two monks hurried to the door.
"Hitomi the seeress is trapped in a vision," Jalin informed them, "Do anything you can to soothe her mind. Perhaps that will call her back from the vision."
Kan, a young male monk, and Nika, a tall female monk, entered the room and took a place on either side of the bed. These two monks were exceptionally gifted -- they were gifted with a kind of sight, the kind that could see into another's mind. Gently, under the eye of Jalin, the two monks touched Hitomi's eyes. They tried to concentrate.
Hitomi was wandering the plains, searching for anything at all. A small wind began to stir the ashes up around her.
"No!" she screeched, "No more visions!"
But the ashes swirled around her and then another vision began to form. Hitomi saw the young girl lying limply on the cold hard stones of an alley street. She lay, small rivulets of blood around her. Hitomi looked up; footsteps were approaching. A figure appeared in the opening of the alley. Hitomi's eyes widened.
"Van!?" she cried.
But no, the man paid no heed to her. It was the strange man she had seen before, wearing nothing but armlets and bell-shaped pants. He stood frozen at the sight of the girl. Then he walked up to her, kneeling beside her and gently lifting her in his arms. He said a name, but Hitomi couldn't hear. The girl stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes. The young man carried her slowly out of the alley, leaving Hitomi in darkness. Suddenly, a red light shone from above. Startled, Hitomi realized she was back on the black plains. But there was a red beam of light descending from above. Hitomi scrambled to her feet and tried to touch it. She felt a prescence.
"Help me! Who are you?" she screamed to the light.
The light didn't answer, but began to grow stronger. Hitomi ran towards it. But just as she was about to touch it, it dissapated into nothingness. Hitomi collapsed onto the ground, this time not even trying to control her tears.
Nika and Kan reeled back suddenly, as if stunned by some blow. Jalin looked at them in surprise.
"Someone is here," Nika said matter of factly.
"We couldn't get ahold of her," Kan started, "ANd there was something blocking us out."
On the borders of the peaceful colony, shimmering figures advanced. From one shimmer, a cold laugh rang out. They cannot defeat me, Newton thought, But let the little ones try Another terrible laugh was heard.
Van stood in his study, again looking out the window. Allen stood by the door.
"I wish I knew what they were doing with her now," Van said quietly.
Allen nodded. "They seemed competent."
"They are," Van answered, "But I still worry."
"She's only been there for two days," ALlen began, "perhaps soon-"
He was cut off by a loud knock at the study door. Sayjin strode in suddenly.
"My king," Sayjin began quickly, "There are reports of an attack."
Van felt knot of dread in his stomach. "Where?"
"In Balis," Sayjin said.
THe young king spun around; anger, fear and determination filling his eyes all at once. Allen and Sayjin were taken aback by this sudden display of emotion. THe king had been so sullen the past two days.
"I will take Escaflowne," Van said shortly and began to leave the room.
Sayjin nodded and followed. Van walked briskly towards the hangar, then broke out into a run. I will protect her he thought to himself. As he reached the hangar and jumped up onto escaflowne's knee, Sayjin called out to him.
"Bring the young seeress back, lord Van," Sayjin called out, "But do not be rash."
Van nodded appreciatively at Sayjin. He turned back to escaflowne. As he
turned, the energist began to glow. Van gasped. What is this? The
energist's light became increasingly brighter until Van had to shield his eyes.
Then, all of a sudden, the rose-coloured light swirled around him and Van felt
himself falling.
